Travel day to Hong Kong
Trip Start
Jul 28, 2006
1
9
86
Trip End
Ongoing
Tokyo,
Japan
Sunday, August 6, 2006
· The Japanese profound sense of ceremony and politeness.
We were met with smiles and helpful attitudes everywhere.
· The suspicion that you have no idea what these people are
really thinking but suspect they are not always filled with the milk of human kindness
· Their wonderful historical culture, rich and multi-layered; the understated elegance and grace they bring to their gardens, architecture, textiles, dance and music
· The way this culture is being destroyed by the "pink lipstick" generation and their disdain for all things in the past.
· The way they find beauty in the smallest things. There are miniature gardens and shrines of impossible beauty tucked into the most unlikely places.
· Their obsessive ness with perfection. This beauty comes at a price and I fear it is high
· Their efficiency and industry. Trains run on absolute time, I never saw a car accident or was in vehicular gridlock and all of our appointments were precisely met on time.
· The frenetic pace these people live at---especially in Tokyo. You can feel the tension in the air.
· The reverance they have for family.
· How ill-behaved Japanese children are
One additional thought: as I watched the Japanese, especially the young females, shop, shop and shop some more I was saddened by their penchant for consumerism, and tacky at that.
Young girls wear lots of makeup, low-cut blouses and short skirts, and teeter around on ridiculously high heels totally impractical for the amount of walking they do. They are the modern day version of the geisha and bound feet although they would be horrified to be associated with the past at all. They seem to be shrieking, "Look at me!" I wish more of them would put all of that energy into creating a strong sense of self.
Comments
JM
Your photos are divine and your journal entries are sublime. I especially enjoy your personal thoughts and your comparisons of the cultures.